France's ex-president Sarkozy to face a corruption trial

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PARIS (AP) — Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is being ordered to stand trial on charges of corruption and influence peddling, in yet another humbling knockdown to the hard-charging conservative leader.

Sarkozy has faced multiple corruption investigations since leaving office in 2012. He was handed preliminary charges just last week in the most shocking affair: accusations that he took millions in illegal campaign financing from then-Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Ludovic Marin/AP

In this photo taken Wednesday March 28, 2018, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy leaves after a ceremony for late Lt. Col. Arnaud Beltrame at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris. A judicial official says Thursday March 29, 2018 that judges issued an order for Sarkozy to stand trial on accusations that he tried to illegally get information from a judge about an investigation targeting him. (Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP)

Ludovic Marin/AP

In a separate case, a judicial official said Thursday that Sarkozy was ordered to stand trial on accusations that he tried to illegally obtain information from a magistrate about yet another investigation involving Sarkozy.

The former president, 63, can appeal the order, and no potential trial date has been set. He has denied wrongdoing.

Sarkozy's lawyer, Thierry Herzog, is also being ordered to stand trial, along with former magistrate Gilbert Azibert. Sarkozy and Herzog did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.

Sarkozy has objected to the case because part of the investigation is based on information gleaned from tapped phone conversations between him and his lawyer.

Sarkozy and Herzog are suspected of promising the magistrate a job in Monaco in exchange for leaking information about an investigation into suspected illegal financing of Sarkozy's 2007 presidential campaign by France's richest woman, L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt.

Thursday's announcement marks the second time so far in which Sarkozy has been sent to trial.

Nicolas Sarkozy's lawyers say French ex-president will appeal decision to send him to trial over influence-peddling charges. Case came about as investigators were probing separate allegations that he received illegal foreign campaign funding. Background: https://t.co/rkNCYjwdJY

Last year, a judge ordered a trial for Sarkozy and 13 others on charges of illegal financing of his 2012 presidential campaign. In that case, his conservative party and a company named Bygmalion are accused of using a special invoice system to conceal unauthorized overspending.

Sarkozy appealed that order to stand trial, and a decision on his appeal is pending.